In general, communications underwater are restricted because of visual limitations and auditory limitations. Typical visual and auditory ranges are limited to a few yards. Current state of the art has not been able to exceed these limitations.
Underwater signaling devices have been used in scuba diving for years. Some underwater signaling devices use air from the scuba tank which produces an audible low-frequency horn-like sound. Others are designed to bang against the outside of the scuba tank which produces an audible low-frequency clanking-type sound. Still others have been designed to produce a low rattle-type or clicking sound with very limited range. Many of these devices are omni-directional, rather than being directionally oriented.
There is a key need for directive electronic signaling devices tailored for audible underwater communication. To understand this, it must first be understood that sensory limitations, specifically visual and auditory limitations, make the scuba diving experience a somewhat isolating one. For example, because of the visual limitations inherent in scuba diving, divers typically cannot gain the attention of their diving buddy, despite the fact that they are in close proximity to each other.
In addition, auditory limitations, specifically the inability of other divers to hear the human voice, even when a diver is screaming or yelling underwater just a few feet away, force divers to rely almost entirely upon their limited sense of sight, specifically line-of-sight, to attract the attention of their dive buddy, and this is a serious limitation even in good visibility situations. Current devices have limited auditory signal production capability, poor directional focus both in a latitudinal and a longitudinal scope and nominal range.
Furthermore, the limitations of existing devices due to the fact that their function is dependent upon diving equipment (i.e., scuba tank, buoyancy compensation device (BCD) and regulator) makes them useless to all water-sports enthusiasts except scuba divers. This integration requirement introduces the potential for equipment failure and damage, as well as (in the case of pneumatic devices) the accelerated depletion of a diver's air supply, his/her most essential survival necessity.
It is to these underwater communication needs, and other circumstances in which the attention of others is desired, that the instant invention is directed.